blogleaves

Get a Yummie Tummie this summer

There's a new star on the shapewear shelves this summer - yes, the much talked-about Yummie Tummie has arrived at figleaves.com (and just in time for any high summer soirees you might be attending in a body-conscious dress).

Yummie Tummie is the brainchild of designer and celeb stylist Heather Thomson, who has worked with P Diddy, Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez on their own fashion lines. With credentials like that, it's little wonder that her smoothing and shaping underwear, made from sweat-wicking microfibre and designed not to ride up, has rocketed to the top of the stars' must-have lists.

Left, strappy camisole £62. The range also includes a slip, £78, and nursing cami, £69.

10 Years Younger Live

Doing anything this weekend? We will be at the 10 Years Younger Live show, hosting the Swimwear Style Clinic along with Grazia's style director Paula Reed. It's the place to be if you want to see the latest trends and how they can work for your body shape, as well as nabbing one of our style advisers for a one-to-one chat.

Some of you are already coming down, of course - the lucky winners of our 10 Years Younger Live competition:

Denise Whiteside
Mandy Hulatt
Claire Sims
Tracy Gladman
Annette de Souza
Martyn Hier
Alison Hush
Emma Louise Forshaw
Barbara Parkins
Micheala Urch

Congratulations, all of you - and we'll see you at Earls Court.

Trend: the visi-bra is back

Fans of look-at-me underwear can rejoice - the visi-bra is back, and fashion network FabSugar approves. Rihanna was working the look recently and she got it just right. The trick? It's all about contrast, apparently: ie. make sure you pair a bright bra with a loose top, like Rihanna's billowing white shirt.

Fancy giving it a go? Below, three zingy bras to try, from Cleo by Panache, Calvin Klein and Pour Moi?

Cutaway swim in Heat

Cutaways are hot this season, notes Heat magazine, which has the celeb pics (Paris Hilton, Solange Knowles, Lindsay Lohan) to prove it.

"Let's go shopping!" said Heat, which had a couple of cossies from figleaves.com in its cutaway selection: this O Beach halterneck, reduced by 30 per cent to £14; and Aguaclara's dazzling green cutaway, down a whopping 70 per cent to £21.60 in our Designer Outlet.

Panache in Bella, Freya in New!

Bella magazine looked at star style on the beach this week, with Michelle Heaton getting the mag's seal of approval for her nautical-look bikini. How to work the trend? Bella recommends this Panache bikini with button details - top £30, briefs £14.

New! magazine, meanwhile, was showcasing retro-style swimwear. This Freya polka dot bikini (top £27, briefs £25) got a mention - "great support for bigger busts," raved New!

Elle Mac to the G

The news on the DD+ front just gets better and better. Our latest arrival? Elle Macpherson's super-feminine Artistry range, in semi-sheer lace interwoven with ribbon, now goes up to a G cup. Bra, £35.

It's here! Wonderbra's Ultimate strapless bra has arrived just in time for the summer wedding season. If you're planning to step out in something strapless or one-shouldered this season (and we strongly recommend that you do), this bra is designed to give you the same support as if you were holding up your bust with your hands.

This marvel of engineering is already garnering rave reviews. Fashion blog My Fashion Life tried it out and was very impressed: "I can’t rave about this bra enough," said their intrepid tester, who danced in it, jumped in it and wore it all day. You can also find it in today's Daily Mail, which was very taken with the models' sequin leggings at the launch today.

Intrigued? Try it out for yourself: strapless bra £32.

Say no to holiday faux-pas

There's nothing we like better than a jaw-dropping swimwear moment - so thanks to foxnews.com for its celebrity swimwear shockers gallery. Meanwhile, travel company sunshine.co.uk has produced a holiday survey of the worst Euro swimwear blunders of all time. French men in tiny Speedos top the list, with Germans in the nude, Brits in mankinis and Spanish women in thongs not far behind.

Looking to avoid a similar faux-pas this summer? Check out our holiday shop, where you can shop by destination, trend, body shape and more to ensure you don't end up blushing on the beach.

Lingerie news: Eva, Usher and rollercoaster bras

• Those new Eva Mendes ads for Calvin Klein sure are steamy, says the LA Times.
• More celeb underthings: Usher is planning his own line of underwear, says Music Rooms.
• Recycling your bra is all the rage in Birmingham - Big Pond News is impressed.
• How to put your Ultimo bra through its paces? Take it to a theme park, of course, says blackbookmag.com.
• Crimes of fashion? Say no to the man bra, pleads the Independent.

Figleaves womenswear in You magazine (and statement swim)

Here's one that we missed last week: it's You magazine columnist Mimi Spencer singing the praises of figleaves.com's own-brand womenswear:

"Our favourite online purveyor of knickers and bras has added floaty summer dresses, sheer kaftans and printed maxis to its wares – perfect for the warmer months. So now you’re just a few clicks away from your capsule holiday wardrobe or that special-occasion frock."

Meanwhile, elsewhere in her column, Mimi was bemoaning feeling overdressed in her sequin swimsuit - even in the glamorous Maldives. "When I put it on, I felt like a prize pooch at Crufts – all primped and preened for no apparent reason," she wrote.

Must confess we can't agree with Mimi there. We say: whether you are in Cornwall, the Caribbean or the Canaries, step out in your statement swimwear and be proud.

Above: silk tunic £65, angel sleeve dress £80.